The present invention relates to computers, and more particularly, to methods and arrangements for improved print media handling within a printer coupled to one or more computers, based on printer configuration status information.
A typical office setting includes a plurality of networked computers that are configured to share resources over the network. For example, an office may include a local area network (LAN) that is configured to provide connectivity between several personal computers (PCs) and a laser printer. The laser printer is a shared resource. Each of the PCs can send a print job to the laser printer. Some networks may include the use of a print server to control access to the laser printer. The print server can interface with the PCs and the laser printer to provide enhanced printing services. For example, the print server may maintain a print queue that stores and/or forwards print jobs to the laser printer at a particular time or in a particular order.
When a typical laser printer is connected to the network, an administrator or other user installs the requisite printer driver software on the various machines that have access to the laser printer over the network. Once the proper software has been installed, then the user is further required to configure the printer, as appropriate, for the office requirements. Thus, for example, if the laser printer has a plurality of multiple-purpose print media supply trays/bins, then the user may need to manually configure the tray/bin to match the print media they""re loading. This may require adjusting movable guides, setting switches, turning dials, and/or otherwise physically adjusting the print media supply mechanisms associated with the tray/bin. The user may also be required to manually input, for example, through a control panel on the printer, status information about the initial printer configuration. For example, the user may need to define the size and/or type of print media in each of the trays/bins.
It has been found, that many users do not complete such additional configuration steps. Instead, many users simply rely on the default printer configuration settings provided by the manufacturer. Default settings, for example, may define that each of the trays/bins is configured to supply xe2x80x9cplain paperxe2x80x9d type print media, having dimensions of 8xc2xdxc3x9711 inches. While such defaults may work just fine for most conventional office settings, should another print media be desired for a print job, then the user may be required to manually intervene with the print job to xe2x80x9ctrickxe2x80x9d or otherwise xe2x80x9cforcexe2x80x9d the printer to complete the print on a different media. Users often revert to such brute-force techniques because they are too busy or are otherwise not interested in reading and following the manuals provided with the laser printer. Most users simply want their printouts.
Indeed, configuring a conventional laser printer can be a daunting task, especially for users that are unfamiliar with the various codes, sizes, or types of print media that may be referred to by the printer manufacturer. Moreover, the user interface provided by the laser printer inputs/displays and printer driver software may further confuse the novice computer user.
There is a need for printers that are xe2x80x9csmarterxe2x80x9d in the handling of print media, especially print media of different size and types. For example, there is need for more intelligent methods and arrangements that can overcome certain mistakes that the user may cause when attempting to print to certain types of print media. Users are often forced into a trial and error sequence when attempting to reconfigure a printer to print to specialized print media. For example, printing to previously printed letterhead may require the casual user to load and reload the print media until the orientation in correct. The same is true for labels and other less common orientation-dependent print media, such as, previously punched paper.
Further difficulties arise for the novice user who fails to correctly set certain printing attributes associated with print media requiring special printing parameters. For example, because envelopes tend to be thicker than standard plain paper, many laser printers require additional thermal energy (heat) be applied during the toner-fusing phase. If an unknowing user tricks the printer into printing in a normal manner on an envelope, then there may be problems with ink adherence and the print integrity may be unacceptable.
Such problems are made worse in printers that also provide duplex printing (i.e., two-sided printing). Here, the orientation requirements can become very confusing, since the printer is usually configured to flip the print media during printing.
Consequently, there is a need for improved print media handling methods and arrangements within a printer. Preferably, the improved methods and arrangements will reduce the burden placed on the casual user and even experienced users in configuring and/or directing the printer with respect to different size and types of print media. Furthermore, the improved methods and arrangements should increase the information provided to the user, while simplifying the process associated with configuring and subsequently reconfiguring the printer.
The present invention provides improved print media handling methods and arrangements for use with printers. The improved methods and arrangements substantially reduce the burden placed on the users in configuring and/or directing the printer with respect to different size and types of print media. The improved methods and arrangements tend to increase the information provided to the user, while also simplifying the process associated with configuring and subsequently reconfiguring the printer.
In accordance with certain aspects of the present invention, for example, a method is provided for use with a printer. The method includes determining the current configuration of at least one supply tray that is configured to supply a print media to the printer. For example, the current configuration can include size data and type data associated with the print media. The method further includes receiving a print job from a computer that is operatively coupled to the printer. Here, the print job defines at least one of the following desired printing requirements: a desired print media size, a desired print media type, or a desired tray identifier. Next, the method includes automatically drawing print media from the supply tray if each the following conditions is determined to be exist: 1) if provided, the desired tray identifier matches a tray identifier associated with the supply tray, 2) if provided, the desired print media size significantly matches the determined size data of the supply tray, or 3) if provided, the desired print media type matches the determined type data of the supply tray. If conditions 1), 2), or 3) are not met, then the method includes prompting the user to place or otherwise provide the desired print media in the supply tray, in which case this new print media is drawn from the supply tray. The method then includes completing the print job using the drawn print media. The method allows the user to be prompted when necessary to configure and/or reconfigure the printer as needed.